Burner



Aug. 30, 1938. w, OFELDT 2,128,264

BURNER Filed July 18, 1936.

y M 'NTOR. WW,

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFlCE Homestead ValveManufacturing Company,

Coraopolis, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 18,1936, Serial No. 91,405

10 Claims.

This invention relates to burners generally and more particularly toburners which are provided with means for preheating or volatilizingfluid fuel and the method of operating the same.

This invention may be conveniently applied to heaters that requireuniform distribution of the burning gases and accurate timing ofcombustion within the combustion chamber. Heaters that mayadvantageously employ these features are found in the coil heater artfor Water heaters, spray or atomized heaters and the like, some of whichare disclosed in my Letters Patent No. 1,925,643, No. 1,970,971, andapplications for Letters Patent Serial No. 36,290, filed August 15, 1935and Serial No. 88,106, filed June 30, 1936, and others referred totherein.

In coil heaters the form of the coils and the manner in which they areplaced within the combustion chamber determine the bafiiingcharacteristics for distributing and guiding the flame. To vary thecontrol of the flame hitherto it has been necessary to reform orrearrange the coils or parts which are being heated. As a practicalconsideration it is usually necessary to construct a new heater for thispurpose, which adds expense.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a new andimproved deflector for controlling the distribution and timing thecombustion of the flame.

Another object is the provision of improved means for preheating orvaporizing a fluid fuel prior to discharging it against the deflector,thereby permitting accurate control thereof.

This invention also contemplates a novel jet and priming device forinitially starting combustion.

Other objects appear hereafter.

In the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated a practicalembodiment of the principles of my invention:

Fig. l is a plan view of the burner assembly comprising my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the burner shown in Fig, 1.

Referring to the drawing, l represents the base of a combustion chamberor outer casing having an aperture 2 through which the burner assembly 3is arranged to extend into the combustion chamber. The burner assemblycomprises the flame guiding ring casting 4 having oppositely disposedoutwardly extending arms 5. Adjacent their outer ends the arms 5 areprovided with the holes 6 for receiving the bolts 1, arranged to securethe burner assembly to the base I by the nuts 8. 9 represents spacermembers around the bolts 'l between the base! and the arms 5 formaintaining spaced relation between these parts to reduce heatconductivity therebetween.

The ring casting is provided with aligned slots 5 ll! in the same planeas the outwardly extending arms 5. These slots are arranged to receivethe outer ends of the deflector member supporting arms H. Where the arms5 are joined to the ring 5 I provide the bosses 12. These bosses aredrilled to receive the bolts l3 which pass through the outer ends of thedeflector supporting arms I l for securing the same to the ring casting4 as by the nuts IA.

The arms 5 may be strengthened by means of the webs l5 which extendbetween the bosses l2 and the arms 5. These strengthening webs also aidin providing radiating surfaces for cooling the ring casting. To thisend the ring casting 4 may be provided with the radially disposedradiating 20 fins, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 at IS.

The deflector supporting arms ll extend radially from the flamedeflecting member I! and are provided with the V-shaped dependingflanges i8 which strengthen said arms and prevent turbulence of theflame as it passes therearound. The deflecting member I! is preferablyhollow. The lower portion IQ of the deflector is preferably sphericaland the upper portion 20 cylindrical. Thus combustible gases impinged onthe under surface thereof will be spread uniformly therearound. Thespherical surface also dispenses with the necessity of accuratelyadjusting the center of the impinging gases to strike the center of thedeflector. Thus slight misalignment of the burner nozzle caused byassembly or by relative expansion of the parts due to differentmaterials or due to different temperatures will not impair the properfunction of the deflector. I am thus enabled to avoid the difficultiesarising from the use of conical or pointed deflectors. I

One arm l l is provided with a boss 2! which is drilled to receive andhold one end of the tube forming the fuel preheating coil 22. The fuelbeing fed to the heating coil is arranged to pass from the fuel supplyup through the vertical portion 23 of the coil. Near to the top of thevertical portion 23 the first coil turn 24 is formed. The uppermostposition of the coil 22 occurs at substantially the first half of thecoil turn 24 as indicated at 25. The coil then descends and is woundaround the cylindrical portion 20 of the deflector ll. The last turn 26of the coil is directed toward the boss 2!. The tube is then,

' formed to pass down through the boss as shown The tubing extends belowthe ring casting 4 as shown at 28 and is arranged to extend radiallyinwardly toward the center of the deflector I1. 29 represents a nozzlesecured to the end of the tube and provided with the port 30 arranged todirect the fuel against the center of the spherical surface [9 of thedeflector [1.

The deflector I! is provided with the radially projecting lugs 31 32 and33 arranged to support the lower side of the coil 22 as it winds downaround the deflector.

It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the coil turn 24 extends out in thedirect path of the burning gases and is subjected to considerable heat.As,- suming that oil under pressure is used for fuel,- it will flow fromthe source of supply up through the tube 23 through the flame guidingring 4 to the coil turn 24 and therearound to the highest point 25.During this time it will have been heated sufficiently to volatilize.The volatilized fuel then passes around the balance of the turn 24 andthrough the coil, the tube 28 to the nozzle 29, from whence it isexpelled out the opening 39 of the jet. The volatilized fuel becomessuperheated as it passes through the coil 22. This promotes quick andefficient combustion.

The highly heated fuel impinging against the spherical surface and beingdeflected therearound has been found not to support combustion until itreaches the deflector arms I! and the lugs 3i and 33, as the flamepropagation is not as fast as the velocity of the gas over the sphericalsurface. By placing the lugs or ears 34 on the spherical surface of thedeflector I am enabled to control the timing of the initial flamecombustion. These small lugs on the spherical surface create a vortex inthe flow of the fuel forming a turbulent action therein which causesignition of the fuel at the tips of the lugs. Thus the position of thelugs on-the spherical surface I9 determines the time at which combustionof the fuel is started.

As the fuel strikes the spherical surface it is distributed uniformlytherearound and is guided up through the ring 4 past the fuel heatingcoil 22. As the fuel supply continues to flow through the coil 22 itbecomes heated, vaporizes and is discharged from the nozzle. Thedeflector I! and the coil 22 become quite hot, which aid in maintainingthe heating cycle.

35 represents a priming pan which may be conveniently supported from theburner structure by means of the arm 3'6 secured at its free endunderthe nut M on the bolt l3 which holds the deflector to the ringcasting 4. The priming pan may be provided with fuel and a wicking, suchas waste, which when ignited heats the nozzle and the lower portion ofthe fuel pipe and the fuel therein. This continues until the burnerflame heats the fuel in the coil 22 sufficiently to permit continuousoperation thereof.

A notch 3'! is formed in the bottom edge of the depending flange [8adjacent the deflector l1. This notch provides a break in the lower edgeof each flange and permits that portion of the combustible gases and theflame that is adjacent the deflector IT to pass up along both sides ofthe depending flanges i8 and the arms II. If the lower edges of theseflanges were permitted to extend horizontally to the deflector a portionof the gases and the flame would roll therealong toward the flameguiding ring 4 and be deflected downwardly, creating a rotary turbulencethat would have a detrimental effect on the burning fuel.

Thus by abruptly changing the contour of the flanges l8 adjacent thedeflector I! so that it extends upwardly toward the deflector, thatportion of the fuel and flame passing therearound is carried by its ownvelocity to a point above the lower edge of the flange and thereforetravels undisturbed to the combustion zone.

1. In an oil burner, the combination of a flame guiding ring, adeflector positioned concentrically within said ring and having an underarcuate surface, means for supporting said deflector from said ring andfor positioning the lowermost portion of the arcuate surface of thedeflector slightly below the lower perimetral edge of said ring, apreheating fuel coil mounted on said deflector in spaced relation withthe inner wall of said ring, a burner positioned in spaced relationbeneath said deflector and connected to said coil, and means on theunder arcuate surface of the deflector disposed above the lowerperimetral edge of said ring for timing the initial flame combustion ofthe fuel issuing from the burner.

2. In an oil burner assembly, the combination of a burner, a bafflehaving a convex under surface disposed above the burner for distributingthe combustible gases issuing therefrom, a fuel supply coil wound in ahelix about the baffle and having its lower end connected to the burner,lugs on the perimetral surface of the baffle under supporting the coil,and means below said lugs for reducing the velocity of a portion of thecombustible gases to maintain initial flame combustion thereof betweensaid lugs and said means.

bustion thereof between said coil and said means.;;

4. In an oil burner assembly, a unitary structure comprising a deflectorarranged to distribute combustible gases, a preheating fuel coilsurrounding the deflector and supported thereby,

a burner positioned beneath the deflector and;-

supported by the lower end of the coil, and means on said deflectorbelow said coil for reducing the velocity of a portion of thecombustible fuel to maintain initial flame combustion thereof betweensaid coil and said means.

5. A deflector for use with a burner which coma prises a body portionhaving an under arcuate portion arranged to be positioned in the path ofthe'combustible gases issuing from the burner to distribute the same, anarm for supporting said body portion, the under side of said armextending upwardly adjacent the said body portion to prevent the flamefrom extending along said arm.

6. A deflector arranged to be positioned over a burner which comprises acylindrical body portion having an under arcuate surface fordistributing the combustible gases issuing from the burner, an armhaving a depending flange of downwardly converging cross section forsupporting the deflector, the lower edge of said flange extendingupwardly to said body portion to prevent the flame from extending alongthe bottom of said flange.

7. In an oil burner, the combination of a fuel jet, a deflector againstthe surface of which the-.'

combustible gases of the fuel impinge, the said surface beingsubstantially semispherical, and means disposed on said surface tocontrol the combustion timing of a portion of the flame of burning fuelby reducing the velocity of a part of the combustible gases to a pointwherethepropagation is maintained immediately above said means.

8. A deflector member to be disposed above an oil burner and having aconvex lower surface against which the combustible gases of the fuelimpinge, and means on said deflector disposed above the apex thereof forreducing the velocity of a part of the combustible gases to maintaininitial flame combustion of the fuel at a point in the immediate regionabove said means.

9. A deflector member to be disposed above an oil burner and having aconvex lower surface against which the combustible gases of the fuelimpinge, and a plurality of spaced projections arranged about theperimetral surface of the deflector member above the apex thereof forreducing the velocity of a portion of the combustible gases to maintaininitial flame combustion of the fuel at a point in the immediate regionabove said projections.

10. A deflector member to be disposed above an oil burner and having aconvex lower surface against which the combustible gases of the fuelimpinge, and a plurality of spaced projections on the convex surface ofthe deflector member above the apex thereof for reducing the velocity ofa part of the combustible gases to maintain initial flame combustion ofthe fuel at a point in the immediate region above said projections, saidprojections being at all times below the zone of combustion.

FRANK W. OFELDT.

